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3w ago

State Defends NRP Review as Garda Search for Missing Donabate Boy Enters Fourth Day

The Government’s reliance on a non‑statutory review body draws sharp rebuke from the Children’s Ombudsman.

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Garda at the scene of the search in Donabate
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Overview

  • The Garda search in Donabate continues with excavations on open land for a boy last seen years ago who would now be seven and is widely presumed dead.
  • The Department of Children defended referring the case to the National Review Panel, citing its independence, and said the panel is finalising its report on the Kyran Durnin case.
  • Ombudsman for Children Dr Niall Muldoon said the NRP lacks statutory powers or an independent mandate to publish, called for a statutory child‑death review mechanism, and wrote to the Taoiseach seeking an update.
  • Tusla records show engagement with the family from 2017 to 2020, including a period in foster care before reunification, and its chief executive said there were no child‑protection concerns at closure and that Covid was not the reason the case ended.
  • Minister Norma Foley has ordered wellbeing checks on roughly 38,000 cases closed during the pandemic using a risk‑based approach, as the Irish Association of Social Workers urges a full statutory review of the Donabate case.